


Appearances Mean Everything

by orphan_account



Category: Glee
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe, Bullying, Dom/sub, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-07
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-02-24 10:57:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2579084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this world appearances count for more than most realize. Kurt and Sebastian learned early on that their world wasn't simply split into halves. Black and white. Yin and yang. <i>Dominant and submissive</i>. Whereas the word on Kurt's wrist read "Dominant" and the word on Sebastian's wrist read "submissive" neither or them ever really fit into the mold. They seemed to move against their very nature. They both thought that it was a bad thing until they met each other. </p><p>ABANDONED. I've posted in the last chapter with what I had been planning to write for the rest of the fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Different

What is real strength? Kurt's right wrist says that he is powerful, simply because he has had the word Dominant on it since his birth.  
  
He has always been a person that wants to nurture and protect the people that he loves. That said, he isn't interested in more rugged activities. He doesn't particularly enjoy helping his dad with the cars that come through. He avoids sports even though it's expected of the Dom's his age. As if strength is a physical, blunt thing that needs to be broadcast to the world.  
  
As if being powerful means he should be throwing his weight around and dressing in a certain way. Kurt is called weak every day at school. Yesterday he was laughed at and told that he reeked of sub.  
  
It's funny how any Dom will jump to the protection of a poor sub in need, but when a Dom acts in a way that isn't in accordance to what they think is the norm they will throw insults that put down the very subs that they would usually defend fiercely. They might say that it's only natural to be angry at a Dom that isn't acting appropriately, that there are only supposed to be so many subs in the world and that a Dom "pretending" to be a sub is despicable... but that's crap. They really just think that subs are inferior to them.  
  
Most Dom's would refute that. Kurt can't count on his fingers the number of times in his life that he's been told condescendingly that subs can be strong in their own way. As if that was a defense that subs everywhere should be grateful for.  
  
It's true that most of the time a Dom can make a sub kneel anywhere with one spoken command, that subs are naturally submissive and will let others lead more readily then themselves. It isn't true that they have to listen to a Dom though. That's all myth. Kurt's dad has debunked that at every turn. With willpower alone Kurt has watched his dad struggle and succeed in raising him, alone and mourning the loss of his Dominant wife. That was real strength.  
  
It only pains Kurt that he didn't end up being a better son. It would have been easier on both of them if Kurt came across as a more Domineering person. But Kurt can't change who he is or how others perceive him any more than he can make the strongest person that he knows into a Dom. They both know that it wasn't Burt, an only parent that happened to be a sub too, who was at fault when people assumed that Kurt was a submissive at first glance because of the way that he dressed.  
  
It wasn't Burt's fault that people assumed Kurt was the product of being raised by a sub.  
  
Kurt was the boy that loved tea parties more than toy guns when he was a kid.  
  
He'd liked music and fashion before his mom died, she had even encouraged his love of fashion because she had sewn so often when he was little. Making his own designs made Kurt feel closer to her. Not that anyone would understand that if he mentioned it. Emotional weakness was for subs. Creativity that was useless was for subs unless you were a famous rock star. Then it was for Dom's.  
  
Kurt can't say that he's ever wanted to be a submissive instead, but he does wish that it was more acceptable for Dom's and subs to enjoy whatever hobbies that they wanted. He was a Dom after all. It was in his nature to go his own way. He shouldn't have to struggle so much to keep his head above water.

 

 

"You're a sub!?"  
  
The waitress looked innocent enough in her inquiry. She handed him his drink and sheepishly glanced around, likely looking for the Dom that was escorting him. She wouldn't see one. Sebastian doesn't allow himself to react openly to the question. He stays calm and maintains his smirk. Because this, the surprise and— following on its heels— awkward embarrassment, is something that Sebastian has gotten used to. It still bothers him, strangely enough, but he's gotten over his own shame ages ago.  
  
When he was younger it wasn't so bad. He was never complimented often for his compliance and good nature, and he played cops and robbers and wanted to take Karate lessons (his parents never let him) instead of baking cakes with his mom, but most people saw those inclinations as cute.  
  
He'll be a handful for the Dom that claims him someday, friends of his parents would say. Even as they warned their Dominant children to go easy and take care of him before they let them play together.  
  
Sebastian had never felt at ease around those kids. They would follow him around with wide eyes, growing worried if he so much as tried to climb a tree. As if he would be stupid enough to fall down from it. And they would always, always be too bossy for Sebastian's liking.  
  
Sebastian sometimes didn't feel like much of a sub. He felt aggressive and daring. Maybe too reckless. Sebastian just wasn't the type of person to lay down, watching his life fly by when he could be living it. If that made him selfish... if his actions confused people, made them misunderstand... well, it wasn't on Sebastian. It really wasn't.  
  
"I am." He said lightly, it was always off-putting to have these sort of exchanges. He really was a sub even if he apparently never came across as one.  
  
The waitress floundered for a few moments. He could tell that she was a sub. A spike of backwards, uncomfortable envy pitted itself in his stomach. It was stupid to hate that she was so sweet. So innocent. So fucking insecure.  
  
He couldn't even build up the energy to be mad at her when she looked down at him with wide brown eyes and bit at her lower lip. Looking so apologetic and confused. It was as though she had mistaken him for being a girl and didn't know how to save herself.  
  
Well, he didn't know how to be sweet or innocent or soft enough. After a moment longer he dismissed her with a wave. He winced internally later on when he realized that demanding a sub to do something was exactly why he was always being mistaken for being a Dom, and an asshole.  
  
As he drove away he distracted himself his with plans for the weekend, Scandals, and with new ideas for the Warblers next song.  
  
Sebastian told himself what he always told himself. Being normal was overrated.


	2. Spy

Sebastian is late for Warbler practice. After class he was asked to stay behind for a conversation, his chemistry teacher wanted to know how he was liking Dalton. While the probing questions irritated him he knew why his teacher felt the need to ask. What sub wouldn't feel disoriented in a new environment? He had been asked to go straight to the nurse if he felt any anxiety and Sebastian had lied and promised that he would. He doubted that he would have to break his promise anyway. His last fullblown panic attack happened back at the beginning of the school year.

He could still remember being grounded by the Dom that had messed with him in the first place. Calling him a jealous Domturner and shoving him into a locker during the second week of the new year. After that he hadn't been able to breath and everything had become a blur. He thought that maybe he had been ordered to kneel or had somehow crumbled to the floor in a misguided attempt to placate the aggressive bully, either way he had been carefully held and soothed until he was calm again. Sebastian could still remember the annoyed look on the Dom's face when Sebastian shoved him and told him to get the fuck away. But what he remembered more vividly was the reply that he had gotten in response.

The Dom had been almost relaxed as he stood up from where he'd sat with his back to the row of green lockers. A thoughtful expression on his face as he surveyed Sebastian who was still too angry to even register it. Sebastian had expected anger, a fight, what he hadn't expected was the misguided care. The most condescending speech that he'd ever heard. Which was saying a lot because his dad's bestfriend was a psychiatrist that was always bringing his parents new reasons to help explain Sebastian's oddities.

"God you're completely backwards. Don't you understand Sebastian that this tough guy act is unhealthy? A sub like you is only going to get hurt if you don't listen to the Dom's in your life and just keep pushing them away."

"I'm not pushing them away I'm pushing you away. You, who gave me a panic attack or don't you remember?"

"What I remember is that the closest I've ever seen you to being human was when I was holding you! Look, I'm sorry that I scared you Sebastian. I really am." The Dom said, and he had looked sorry but also angry. "I thought you were maybe a Domturner and I'm not down with that shit, but now I know that I was wrong about you after how you reacted and I swear I wont hurt you again."

Sebastian had been so stunned that he didn't say any of the number of things that came to his mind. Only clenched his shaky fists as he tried to wrap his head around the words. While it might have been true, he'd thought of all the worry, confusion, and even derision that had always met his behaviors, he had never been more offended in his life up to that point then he was in that moment. It was one thing to be laughed at and whispered about when he went to school, it was another to be openly confronted about how weird he was and then told to change by someone that barely knew him.

The other Dom had taken his silence badly.

"Look I said I was sorry." The Dom had said defensively.

"I could care less that you're sorry." Sebastian said loudly, stared into the others eyes with open disgust.  

The Dom only sighed in frustration and rubbed his hand over his face. Head tilted up as if praying for patience before turning to Sebastian with a strange expression.

_**"Kneel."** _

Sebastian pushed the memory of Daniel out of his mind irritably. He wasn't going to pay the asshole any more attention.

His teachers were worried about how he was dealing with the between semester transfer. They didn't have to be though.

He knew that if he ever really wanted to he could convince both his parents to take him home. On the first night Sebastian had even considered the option. He wasn't bothered during the day, taking in the new school. It wasn't until he was laying in bed that he thought about his parents. Turning on his side to stare at his phone on the table for a long moment before he caught his train of thoughts and told himself he was being ridiculous. Making a long list of all the reasons why it was completely improbable that he would actually need taking care of by his parents in the first place and went to sleep with a smile on his lips.

The thing about being a sub was that it wasn't really that bad. Sure, Sebastian got anxious like everyone else. He didn't really know a feeling that compared to being held close by a Dom. But he knew his limits better then anyone too.

He knew how not to get carried away, how to stop before he got the anxiety attacks. He didn't have the natural assurance that Doms had, but he had himself. Sometimes Sebastian thought of it as being his own Dom. He could usually keep himself from losing control by simply taking care of himself.

On the internet he read tips about how to take care of subs. His parents had had a field day when they saw that, they'd always been a little suspicious that their son was going to turn out to be a Domturner after all, but what he learned from it was how to care for himself.

Sebastian was sometimes careless. It wasn't until after he read about subs that he started to watch what he did. It was a little bit of fun to do the things that were prescribed by the sites. He gave himself routines, and rewards for when he followed through with them. It didn't make him feel like a Dom. It made him feel good. He loved doing the extra work if it meant that he didn't have to go through long bouts of distress. This way they barely happened and when they came they were less hard, shorter. His new school made it even easier to follow his routines.

The truth was he _loved_ Dalton. He was experiencing more freedom at this stuffy boarding school then he had in his entire life, then he knew what to do with, and it was exhilarating. Dalton was an all submissive boy school, something that Sebastian had scoffed at when his parents first told him that they were sending him there. They had thought that it would settle him to be around his peers. Another diagnosis from their friendly psychiatrist who had decided that his atypical behavior for a sub was simple oversensitivity, too much exposure to Doms. His parents had lept on the idea. Rather predictably.

Sebastian didn't begrudge them. Dalton was actually the best thing that could have happened to Sebastian. Maybe he did experience too much exposure to Doms because this newfound lack of guardianship was something that Sebastian couldn't get enough of. Not that he really was all that unexposed. He had quickly learned about Scandals after a few weeks from one of the boys on the lacrosse team while they were making out. Sure, being with a sub didn't quite scratch the itch for either of them but at least it was a boy. It wasn't that hard to find horny teenage boys at an all sub all male boarding school. They were all a little desperate and needy which made it easy to find out where to go to meet Dom's that weren't school staff.

Scandal's was sleazy but Sebastian wasn't picky when it came to sex, dancing, and drinking. Overall this year was looking up.  

He'd told everyone that last semester he was in France, partying his way through the year. He didn't want to tell them that his parents had forced him to go. He especially didn't tell them about what he had dealt with at his old school. He saw the careful way that people tiptoed around Blaine Anderson and some of the other students that had transferred to Dalton because of the anti-bullying policy the school had to offer.   
   
Blaine Anderson was the subbiest sub that Sebastian had ever met. It was both frustrating and endearing. Blaine was demure and somehow always knew exactly what to say and had a really nice ass. Blaine also was exclusivey interested in other subs. Which explained why he had been beaten up so badly at his old school that he lost a year and he was transferred to Dalton first thing after waking up. He'd been there for a year and a half by the time Sebastian transferred to Dalton but it was still fresh enough gossip that Sebastian learned that and an earful of other things about the singing sensation on his first day of joining the Warblers. It wasn't until Sebastian heard Blaine sing that he really decided to befriend him, though they still hadn't had sex. The other boy sung like a dream and Sebastian wanted to know what he sounded like when he moaned. Though when he approached Blaine with his fuck buddy idea it was kindly laughed off. Sebastian wasn't offended. Blaine turned interesting shades of pink at least. Speaking of...

"Hey Killer." Sebastian said, moving through the throng of students. He hadn't realized that it was a performance day or he would have walked faster.

"Oh, hey Sebastian-"

"Your late. What took you, the whole school is waiting." Trent butted in. Waving him forward.

With that Sebastian joined the ranks of his fellow Warblers.

The Warblers true colors shined when they sang. Singing had been a passion of Sebastian's from a young age, the only one that his parents encouraged actually. When he sang he could shed the shackles and just be. It was like this that Sebastian could see the other subs do the same and for a short while feel connected and content. Even though afterwards he would be back to being the sub that people, even Blaine, shook their head at and told "you're something else".

 

 

Kurt elbowed his way through the crowd, heading toward the sound of singing.

Teenage Dream.

He was starting to regret coming to spy on the Dalton Warblers. Sure, it got him out and he was the one best equipped to "blend in at a sub school" but it hardly meant that he had an outfit that blended in. This one was starting to seem like the worse one he could have chosen. It was blue and his tie was red, Kurt suspected that it made him look more like a spy as it was obviously a bad imitation of the actual uniform. He sighed, smoothing a wrinkle on his sleeve with a frown, when he was finally close enough to see the Warblers and that was when his heart stopped.

The boy singing was beautiful. Black hair, a brilliant smile, and bright brown eyes. Kurt couldn't explain what it was that made all of his irritation slip away as he focused on the song. He'd always known that he liked boys. Just another thing that reminded people that he was strange. Though most assumed it was because he wanted to be with a Dom and that was the real issue. Of course, it wasn't so bad to be interested in the same gender. The belief that the real gender line was between subs and Doms, not sex, was more common now then it had been ten years ago. Not that their weren't still many that thought woman and men should only be with the their complete opposites.

Kurt hated it but he knew that one day he'd graduate and leave Ohio behind. He took comfort in that when the days seemed to blur together as a long string of being bullied and never understood and cleaning his clothes of every color of slushy imaginable. It wouldn't always be like this.

Kurt startled when another boy started singing. Stepping forward from the back. And looking directly at Kurt.

"I'ma get your heart racing in your skintight jeans be your teenage dream tonight."

Wide eyed he stepped back as the handsome boy walked towards him. Signaling the spy to the others. Heat and something knowing in the teenagers gaze made Kurt realize that he had definitely been caught. He gulped. A guilty squeeze in his gut.

Great, just great. He hadn't been at Dalton for more then fifteen minutes and he was already going to be beat up. Kurt didn't quite know what to do as all of the Warblers closed in around him. Circling him like polite sharks. He held his breath and kept his head up. Holding his bag close and keeping his eyes trained on the handsome singer. Part of him was a little depressed that this one was just as talented. Half of him was enthralled by the Warblers performance, it might have just been the singing but even in the New Directions the subs tended to make up the back. Of course it would be different at an all sub school though. The Dalton Warblers would be a threat if the New Direction's didn't pull themselves together. Not that Kurt would ever admit it so he tried to keep a cool façade as their song came to a close.

"I suppose you're from the New Directions?" Kurt was asked, before he could say anything or ask how the Warbler knew. "I can smell the public school on your cheep clothes."

Kurt's mouth fell open in shock but before he could defend his attire the shorter one, the sub that had been singing first and that Kurt still felt a small attraction towards cut in. A reprimand in his voice.

"Sebastian."

"What? You know were going to have to scrap that song now that we've been spied on?" Sebastian asked.

"We were going to scrap it anyways." The boy said with a roll of his eyes.

Kurt decided that he had been standing their for too long. But he couldn't exactly back away slowly because the Warblers were all around him.

"I'm sorry. Please don't beat me up for spying. I'll go and I wont tell anyone, I swear." He said, breathless and miserable. If anyone at his school had heard him he probably would have never heard the end of it or the end of the laughter, a Dom beatened up by a bunch of showchoir subs but the one that had caught him looked mad enough. Gone was the feeling of elation at listening to the leader of the Warblers sing and replacing it quickly was the worry that he might be some trouble for this. If push came to shove he might be able to order them to let him leave, which would give him a headstart, but this was a sub school. He didn't want to think about the trouble he would get into if he was discovered skulking about.

"Beat up? Of course not." One said. Sebastian didn't look as though he had entirely ruled out the option.

And that's how Kurt ended up on the Warblers couch. All of them seemed friendly except for the Sebastian who leaned against the couch across from where Kurt sat and eyed him suspiciously, arms crossed. Kurt didn't know how but he ended up telling them, _Blaine_ , about the bullying. He felt safe and needed to vent. School had been so much worse lately.

"How could they do that to a sub?"

"Uh." Kurt froze, realizing that in all of this he hadn't actually clarified that he wasn't a sub to the boys at the table. Hadn't thought to. He blushed and felt apologetic as he went to correct the assumption before Blaine reached out and took his hand. It was warm and made Kurt's heart leap.

"Don't worry Kurt. I know exactly how you feel. Lets just say I've been in a similar situation because of my interest in subs."

You mean you've been constantly mistaken for something you aren't? Ostracized because you aren't normal? Kurt wanted to ask but couldn't at the compelling look he was being given. Blaine's situation wasn't the same but that didn't mean that the other boy hadn't experienced his own share of hurt. Then warmth coming from Blaine and the kindness that radiated from the boys (even Sebastian looked more subdued) around him also made it awkward to explain now that he wasn't, in fact, a sub or a sub that liked other subs as Blaine seemed to have assumed. Unhappily he asked himself what he had expected from all of this. None of these people understood him.

Suddenly Kurt felt tired, angry and tired and awkward. He just wanted to go home because he couldn't explain.

"I'd better head home now before it gets too late." He said, looking at the clock as though he had just noticed the time. The excuse to leave had the benefit of being true. He hadn't realized how late it was and his dad would freak if he didn't go soon.

Judging by Blaine's warm expression the other boy thankfully hadn't noticed Kurt's shift in mood.

"Well, lets exchange numbers before you go. You don't have to talk to me about the bullying if you don't feel comfortable but I would like to be friends Kurt."

Kurt couldn't bring himself to say no. He didn't want to see Blaine sad.

 

 

Sebastian watched as the two subs smiled at each other. So this was what it took to get into the great Blaine Andersons pants, a sob story. Sebastian almost rolled his eyes as he watched the two lean close to one another as they brought their phones out. They didn't have to stand that close to exchange numbers.

Sebastian thought about Kurt later though. Remembered the look on the boys face as he watched the warblers, no, _Blaine_ sing teenage dream. He had stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd,  hogging the space around him in the room. Later he would remember that some Doms had strong presences. Created an aura that kept those around them from coming too close. Instead Sebastian went to sleep with a thought nagging in his mind. 

There was something different about Kurt Hummel. Something different, and it was as Sebastian finally drifted off that he realized that Kurt didn't act like a sub in the conventional sense throughout that entire meeting, not really, and it was with that that Sebastian thought maybe it wasn't Blaine that Kurt was most alike but Sebastian himself.

Two subs that came across as Dom's.


	3. French Lesson

Kurt gets a text from Blaine later the next day. 

It fills him with a strange warmth, that Blaine really does want to be friends with him makes Kurt smile. Even as it fills up him with something close to dread which he tries his best suppress.

A large part of Kurt just wants to forget that yesterday ever happened. Kurt had never let anyone think he wasn't a Dom before; even when he thinks of the Warblers and how good it had felt to be with them he feels at odds with himself. He thinks about his dad who always wanted him to be true to who he was. Kurt is ashamed to admit that he hadn't been himself with the Warblers. When presented with the chance to just pretend for awhile that he was someone else for a change he went with it. The worst part was that it had felt nice to do it. Yesterday was like a dream. He's still humming to the Warblers song to himself. It felt nice to be with the Warblers, to be with one Warbler in particular.  

Its too easy to imagine falling into a friendship with Blaine. One coffee date turning into two, and from there...

Except, and it was a big except, Kurt cant ignore the nagging voice that tells him repeatedly that Blaine wants to befriend who he  _believes_ Kurt is, not Kurt. If he knew the real Kurt he'd react just like everyone else at school.

He considers ignoring the text altogether. Blaine would just think he got the wrong number. It would be better in the long run to keep his distance, wouldn't it? Kurt never had to see Blaine again, even when they eventually compete against each other it wont be that hard to avoid him. Instead of doing that, deleting the message, Kurt's fingers type back a quick greeting and agreement to meet up on Saturday. His phone beeps a moment later. Blaine sent him a smiley face. Kurt's never heard of the Lima Bean but he saw it in passing when he went to Dalton.

Maybe it will be the perfect time to explain things to Blaine.

Something about the other boy makes Kurt want to be honest. Even if he loses the chance at friendship, he'll have been honest. If he lied to Blaine then what kind of friendship would they really have?

The truth of it is that Kurt doesn't know if he wants to tell Blaine though. It's not like Kurt is a subturner, he isn't a Dom that wants to be a sub, its just that Blaine and the other Warblers had treated him with such kindness. Kurt wasn't sure he could bare the cold shoulder that they would inevitably give him when they realized he wasn't what they thought. Or worse, the humiliation when they turned around and treated him like everyone else did at school when they realized it.

Like Kurt was an oddity. A Liar. Weirdo.

Part of Kurt believes that wouldn't happen. Blaine wouldn't judge him like that. Kurt remembers the Dalton students warm understanding eyes and cant imagine them changing. But Kurt also has years of experience when it comes to being mistaken for a sub and then being blame for the mistake.

Was it so bad that Kurt wanted to hold on to the closeness that he had felt when they thought he was like them? It wasn't as though Blaine was ever going to meet anyone from McKinley. What was the harm? At worst, Blaine would find out and it would hurt when he broke off their friendship but then Kurt would go back to his regular life and still have had a taste of what it felt like to belong.

And besides, though Kurt was embarrassed to admit it even to himself, Blaine was cute. Blaine had said that he didn't like Dom's romantically. A small, selfish, really immature part of Kurt wanted to get closer to a Blaine that saw him as another sub, someone dateable. It would never work out. This was just like when Mercedes had thought she had a chance of being with Kurt, only Kurt knew better. Kurt couldn't help himself though. He kept thinking about Blaine singing and his logic would fade away.

Maybe he would never be with Blaine but he could pretend for awhile, couldn't he?

No.

He'd have to tell Blaine when they met up again. Maybe when they finished their coffee. Until then Kurt didn't have to say anything. This was the type of conversation that should be had in person, he reasoned to himself.

 

 

Sebastian entered the Lima Bean and ordered his usual before turning around and spotting two familiar heads bent close together over their coffees. With a smirk he wandered over after getting his coffee.

"Hey girls. Consorting with the enemy Blaine?"

Kurt frowned at him, leaning away from Blaine, probably offended or possibly half worried that Sebastian was still mad at him for the spying. Sebastian wasn't still angry about that, hadn't ever been truly angry, but that didn't mean he wouldn't forever tease the him about it from now on just to agitate him.

"We aren't talking about Glee." Kurt defended quickly, something authoritative in the tone of his voice that only affirmed Sebastian's suspicions about the sub. It might have been a fluke but Sebastian was starting to think that being a subturner wasn't the only reason that Kurt was bullied so mercilessly. While Kurt's appearance screamed high maintenance sub his personality would drive Dom's crazy.

Blaine was calmer. Recognizing the comment for the joke it was.

"Don't worry Kurt. Sebastian's just being Sebastian."

Kurt didn't look convinced.

"Are you here to do homework?" Blaine asked pleasantly, eying his backpack.

Sebastian tipped his cup back and took a long sip, giving the sub a 'that was a stupid question' look. Blaine fidgeted under the attention. What Sebastian was really watching for was Kurt's reaction. The boy huffed and tapped his fingers on the table in agitation. Sebastian crashing the party was obviously not what he'd wanted. Which only made him more determined to invite himself.

"It can wait." said Sebastian while he reached back to grab a chair and make himself comfortable in between the two.

Besides, if any sub was going to get into the precious Blaine Anderson's pants it would be Sebastian.

Kurt looked a little flabbergasted by the situation, probably not used to being on the other end of a sub being a pain in the ass. On the other side of the table Blaine looked resigned to the intrusion, very used to Sebastian's atypical behavior. Sebastian relished the look on Kurt's face.

"If you're here to do your homework then that should come first. You can always talk afterwards, right Blaine?"

Blaine nodded happily, brown eyes practically glowing with what Sebastian suspected might have been gratitude. Sebastian nearly scowled but carefully kept his smirk in place. He wasn't that bad! A little prickly around the edges, sure, but Blaine was hardly the saint everybody thought he was... well, okay maybe he was but the perky cheerfulness could be a little too much also after awhile.

"Thanks Kurt, but if I wanted a _Dom_ to remind me to do my homework on time like a good boy I could find one a lot better than you. Or just buy an alarm clock. Though your voice is so high pitched its practically the same thing." Sebastian said, taking a large sip and watching Kurt's reaction to the insult carefully. He was a bit delighted by his results to tell the truth.

Instead of bursting into tears or leaving at the first sign of an argument Kurt went completely still, a pinched look coming over his face as he paled and then went bright red. Shock slowly turning into anger and then becoming embarrassment as the insult was fully processed. Kurt looked like he was going to stand up -- and not to run away --

Blaine stood up in his chair before anything more could be said.

"That was uncalled for, Kurt was only trying to help. We're going to leave." Blaine said quietly, parts anxious for Kurt and disappointed in Sebastian. Likely remembering all of the times that he had been treated like he somehow wanted to be a Dom just because of his sexual orientation. Sebastian wasn't looking at Blaine though.

 _"What did you just say to me?"_ Kurt spit, standing up from his chair in a snap.

Blaine walked back a step, eyes nearly popping out of his head. Sebastian rather felt like sinking in his chair too actually. Slightly surprised by the display of aggression. It was one thing to think Kurt was a little different than most subs, but another thing to actually experience it. He didn't feel any of the pressure that came off of angry Dom's when they spoke orders, of course, but there was certainly a force that permeating the air that was all Kurt that Sebastian had not expected when he first goaded the teen. Part of Sebastian was running over what he'd said again as fast as he could. He decided that the most important thing to know about Kurt was that he was very, very prickly.   

"Is there a problem here boys?" Someone interrupted before anything else could happen.

The Dom had a Lima Bean uniform on.

"No." Kurt and Blaine said in unison. Kurt's voice icy whereas Blaine's sounded faint.

"Maybe it would be best if you all went on home now. Its been a long day." he suggested.

Blaine looked around at the rest of the customers and employees that were now watching. Kurt looked putout but not too fazed by the attention.

"There isn't a problem." Kurt said with a huff, sitting down as if to prove it. Blaine followed suite.  

The man watched them closely before nodding and turning away again to go back to work.

The minute he was gone Kurt went back to glaring daggers at Sebastian's person.

"I'm sorry about this." Blaine said to Kurt as the tension lingered between the three. "I wanted to give you a stress free end of the day after everything that's happening at school."

Sebastian grimaced at that. In the back of his mind he knew that Kurt was going through a hard time right now. Its not that he wasn't sensitive to the others plight. He might not have been a Domturner but he definitely understood a part of what Kurt was going through. Probably a lot better then Blaine realized based on the disapproving looks he kept shooting at him.

Kurt seemed to deflate.

"It's fine. Its just been a bad day." 

Something unsaid seemed to be going on.

He almost asked them but something about the way Kurt had slumped the slightest bit in his seat held him at bay. The fight that Kurt had displayed a moment ago seemed to have all but dissipated as whatever was bothering him weighed on his mind. Looking at the helpless expression left Sebastian uncomfortable, it angered him a little if he was being honest. However he wasn't sure who he was really angry with, the bullies for bringing the other sub to this point or Kurt for letting them. It reminded him too much of how far he'd fallen before he got a hold of himself and toughened up.

Popping off the lid of his cup he looked at the dark coffee inside, sloshing the liquid gently from side to side. Mulling over what a 'bad day' meant.

"Well," he started to say, and Blaine looked at him with worry while Kurt looked at him defensively. He put his hands up like they had pointed guns at him "I wasn't going to say anything offensive, hold your fire. I was just going to say I need help with my French. Your good at it, right?" he asked Blaine.

Sebastian pushed his cup out of the way to make room on the table. Blain stared at him in confusion for a moment as Kurt sat up straight.

"You take French?" Kurt asked, and then Sebastian's pretty sure Kurt insulted him in the language.

Sebastian let it slide since this was supposed to be a distraction and he really did secret need help with his homework.

"Okay." Blaine said slowly, raising an eyebrow as his lips quirked up knowingly.

Blaine was in the same French class as Sebastian, and as a result was subject to Sebastian's bragging about studying abroad last semester there. So far (luckily) no one had questioned the truthfulness of Sebastian's boast; which was that his knowledge about what it was like came from the fact that he went on vacation there for the fist time last summer with his parents, and that had been great. Unfortunately, that meant his AP French grade was suffering because he couldn't compare notes with anyone or work with the study group Blaine had formed.

 "Let me see what you're stuck on." Blaine said.

Blaine's smile was approving as he and Kurt scooted over on their chairs.


	4. Lies

Blaine sidled up to Sebastian after they'd waved Kurt goodbye.

"Thanks for doing that for Kurt. It must have been difficult for you, pretending you aren't fluent after everything Kurt said. _"_

"I have thick skin." Sebastian said absently. Overall he was actually kind of pleased with the work he'd accomplished. Kurt and Blaine weren't bad tutors in between all the French that went over his head.

Blaine eyed him knowingly again. The look was starting to get a little out of hand actually.

"You don't actually speak fluent French do you?"

Sebastian managed to keep his eyes from widening, barely. It didn't stop the aggravating blush from creeping over the bridge of his nose. Blaine's smile grew wide. It looked toothy and Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." he said, grabbing his bag from the table he started shoving everything in it as quickly as he could.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Blaine nudged him excitedly.

"I said shut up." Sebastian said again, standing up hastily.

Blaine chased all the way to his car while asking him questions in French, laughing loudly when Sebastian slammed the door in his face. He almost regretted taking the time to talk to the two subs as he swerved out of the parking lot. Almost.

After all, now he knew that he was right. Kurt _was_ a lot like him even if he didn't know it. Sebastian tried to push the thought out of his mind, like he'd been trying to do since that warbler meeting. It didn't actually matter. For one thing Kurt disliked him, and Blaine had more in common with the junior than Sebastian did. They both liked fashion and spoke French and liked subs. Sebastian couldn't quite imagine befriending Kurt. They were too different.

For one thing he liked lacrosse more then show choir, even if the warblers did hold a special place in his heart, and fashion pretty much went over his head. Unlike some of the subs at his school he considered the simplicity of a uniform to be one of Dalton's perks. And, while he thought subs were okay, he would rather be fucking a Dom any day.

Somehow he didn't think Scandals would be Kurt or Blaine's scene. The thought had Sebastian laughing as he sped up when the green light ahead of him turned yellow. He might get the two of them fake ids just to see the looks on their faces when he presented them.

He imagined Kurt going red like he did at the coffee shop, right before the sub got scary and the thought of goading him started to seem like a very bad idea. It had honestly surprised Sebastian. He wouldn't have expected the reaction from the same sub that had told the warblers about the crap he was dealing with at school with a wobble to his lip. It gave Sebastian hope that at least Kurt might have been handling the abuse of his peers better then Sebastian had.

Though the memory of Kurt's anger also reminded him that they really wouldn't get along, even if they were similar it just meant that they would clash because they were exactly alike. They had a way of pissing people off, or Sebastian did.

Despite that as he drove Sebastian couldn't help but feel pleased. He wasn't the only sub that was a little peculiar. He wasn't even the only sub in Ohio that was a little different.

He was closing the door to his dorm room when his cellphone rang. He took it out and dropped his bag on the floor.

"Hi mom." He said as he threw himself onto the lower bunk. His roommate had gone home for the weekend and wouldn't be back until Sunday which meant he had the room to himself. It was nice to be able to relax without dealing with the subs compulsive need to complain about how sloppy he was.

"Hi honey, how are you." she asked. He could hear the smile in her voice.

Kicking off his shoes he relaxed into the mattress.

"Good. I joined the Glee Club here."

"That's great! I don't know why they didn't have one at your old school. Perrwick was overrated, I tell you. It was practically a public school despite all the money we spent on it. Dalton is by far superior, we must thank Ryan for recommending it to us. He'll be coming over for dinner next Saturday."

Sebastian sighed, he hated family dinners with the doctor. "Mom, Dalton gives out way more homework than Perrwick did. I don't know if I'll be able to make it."

The truth was that even though the workload was bigger it wasn't as strenuous as he made it out to be. He just liked being able to go to Scandals more than driving home. Especially if he'd have to dress up and thank the doctor. It wasn't that he didn't like him. Ryan was his dads best friend and sort of like an Uncle to Sebastian, it was just that Ryan couldn't leave his work at the door sometimes. He was always asking stupid questions, his parents were always asking Ryan to ask stupid questions, and even though Sebastian wasn't a kid anymore Ryan still ruffled his hair once in a while. So, no. Sebastian didn't want to go home. But what he wanted usually didn't matter. In his parents eyes he was far too opinionated.

"Nonsense, you can finish you're homework here. That place you call home. We've been letting you stay on the weekends because you were still getting used to Dalton and we didn't want to disturb your settling in process but it's simply improper to allow you to run wild on the weekends without supervision, Sebastian."

"I have supervision." he tried.

"The teachers on duty are hardly enough. You're father agrees with me." his mother said with finality. Sebastian suppressed another sigh. He knew if his father decided something then that was that.

"Okay, I'll be there." he conceded. In the back of his mind he tried to think of ways to get around the family dinner.

Maybe he could stay cooped in his room working on an "essay" due first thing Monday morning... somehow he didn't think that would stop them. At times Sebastian suspected that his parents didn't actually care as much as he did about his grades as long as he was passing them. Sure, they were proud of his A's and B's but they wouldn't have fussed if he was skidding by with C's and D's either.

Switching the phone to his other ear Sebastian listened as his mom talked about her day. His parents anniversary was coming up and his dad had bought her flowers and took her to some fancy Italian restaurant because he _couldn't wait._ Sebastian smiled even as he rolled his eyes at their ridiculousness. His parents really puked rainbows and shit butterflies. When she started moving onto gossip about the neighbors he finally said that he had math homework and she reluctantly let him go.

"We love you, honey. Be a good boy."

"Yes mom. Say hi to dad for me." With that he hung up and chucked his phone at his bag.

He thought about going to Scandals but he'd already gone yesterday, and even though he'd finished his French he really did have math to do. With a groan he rolled over to press his face into his pillow.

"Fuck my life."

 

 

"You have to tell him Kurt." Mercedes told him over the phone.

"I know, I know. But how?" Kurt frowned, once again wishing that Sebastian hadn't interrupted everything.

He'd been so close too. At first they'd talked about the latest issue of vogue and unlike what Sebastian might have thought the topic of their respective Glee Clubs hadn't even been touched on. Blaine did ask about school though, about Karofsky, the worst bully of them all. Blaine's words kept running through his head.

 _"I ran to Dalton. I let them chase me away and it's something that I really, really regret."_ Blaine had said.

Kurt didn't want to run. He didn't want to be chased out of McKinley, not that it was possible to run like Blaine was able to. There was hardly another school where Kurt could fit in, and his dad worked, he couldn't homeschool him and Kurt definitely didn't want that. Even with everything that was happening the New Directions were almost a second family to him. A crazy, obnoxious family. But nobody in Glee club, none of the teachers, were really helping. Kurt was alone in this and it was killing him.

"Call him. Tell him the truth, and if he doesn't accept it then I'll come over and we'll eat popcorn and watch Dancing with the Stars until we drop."   

Kurt chuckled, yet he still felt uneasy. If Sebastian hadn't popped up out of nowhere he would have been able to work himself up to telling Blaine the truth. Now it would be like dropping a bomb, but he knew he couldn't exactly wait. Could he? No. Mercedes said it. Waiting any longer would be a huge mistake. It didn't calm his nerves though.

Mercedes hung up and Kurt stared at the phone for a long moment. He flinched when it buzzed in his hand and he found a text from Blaine.

Courage.

His heart sped up at the words. Swallowing, Kurt went to Blaine's number. The green call button glared up at him.

"Courage." Kurt muttered before he pressed his thumb down.

"Hello?" Blaine answered.

Kurt wished he hadn't. He really wished his phone would suddenly die on him or his bed would swallow him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Blaine. Sorry, um. It's Kurt."

"Hey Kurt. Is everything okay?"

Kurt wanted to say no. Hang up. Never speak to Blaine again because he just knew the other boy was never going to talk to him again after this.

"I'm fine, fine." Kurt said, pausing for a moment to take a breath. Suck it up Hummel, it's not that bad. "I need to tell you something."

 

 

Mercedes hugged him the minute he opened his door. He squeezed her back hard, burying his head in her shoulder.

She'd come over the minute he called her back, in record time too. Kurt finally gathered himself enough to speak and everything came out in a rush.

"He said he was surprised, and he said he didn't care that I was a Dom. He sounded confused and he said he was sorry and what does "I need to think" even mean, Mercedes? He hates me now doesn't he? Why did I even tell him? I knew this would happen." Kurt nearly shouted as he tried to keep himself from tearing up.

It was difficult. Kurt knew this would happen, he knew, and it still hurt. Maybe a part of him hadn't known. Blaine had been so understanding, so kind and helpful when Kurt talked about Karofsky. Part of him had thought that this time would be different. Blaine had seemed different.

At least the other boy hadn't immediately started in on the insults. At least Kurt had told him over the phone instead of in person where he could see the change in those brown eyes up close. Kurt would have to thank Sebastian now for that. Sebastian had actually been kind amusing anyway. At least the other boy was a better student then any of the idiots in Kurt's class, and in any case, watching the sophomore be so focused on learning everything, and giving Kurt helpless glances because he knew he was being insulted but knew that he still needed the help and didn't have any idea what Kurt was saying had sort of given Kurt a mean little thrill. The thought pushed a short, choked laugh out of his throat before he remembered the chilling silence that had swept up through him when Blaine hanged up.

"I'm sorry Kurt." Mercedes was saying.

He pulled away from her reluctantly.

"Better that it happened now, right?" he murmured shakily.

"If he couldn't see what a good friend you are that's his problem." 

Kurt tried to believe that.


	5. Shopping

Kurt compared the two wool scarfs, they were the same except for their color. One was a dark purple and the other was a light bluish green that would look nice with his eyes. He was leaning towards buying the bluish green one, but he already had a green scarf that was similar in color and he didn't have a scarf like the purple one. He had a surplus of dark blue scarfs though. He was so lost in though that he nearly jumped when Mercedes came over to his side.

"Still deciding?" she asked.

"Yeah." He said, a small smile warming his face.  

Ever since the phone call, as Kurt liked to refer to it, he hadn't been feeling up for much. He was glad Mercedes brought him even though he was distracted and being unusually indecisive. It wasn't normal for him but lately everything was out of whack for Kurt. He knew his friend had dragged him to the mall in the hopes of getting his mind off of what happened last Saturday. But somehow, strolling through the rows of clothes, Kurt couldn't find anything to wear. Usually he could come up with at least six or seven outfits and had to work hard to narrow down his choices and consider his budget. He could spend all day at the mall, at least until today.

Putting the two scarfs back he turned around to scan the store one more time. Nothing new caught his eyes. Kurt could tell his friend was worried by his lack of enthusiasm and he tried to shake himself out of it. He didn't want her worrying about him, she'd brought him here to help and it really did help. He didn't want to let the silence from Blaine effect him. He had too much to worry about to add that hurt to the pile.

"Do you want a pretzel, my treat?" he asked.

"Sure, I just have to buy these." she gestured to her armful of shirts. "How about I meet you at the food court after, okay?"  

Kurt agreed without fuss and made his way out of the store and into he trickling crowd of shoppers. He thought about checking his phone again before brushing the idea away.

Blaine was the last person he should be worrying about.

Karofsky was escalating. Kurt had a bruise across his upper back from being slammed into the lockers every time he passed the football player. All of his clothes had been slushied so he was forced to go to his last two classes with red ice dripping down his front. And Blaine still hadn't called to explain what "I need to think" meant. Not that Kurt needed an explanation, he knew. It meant goodbye.

Kurt spotted the pretzel shop and stopped to open his coat pocket, fiddling with the annoying zipper for a moment. With the day Kurt was having so far he wasn't at all surprised when someone with a handful of bags ran right into him and everything they were holding scattered across the floor.

"Woah!" the boy shouted loudly. Kurt's brain supplied the image of a rowdy Dominant as he eyed the lacrosse equipment that had spilled out of the bags, then Kurt looked up.  

"Kurt?" Sebastian asked, wide eyed.

"...Obviously." Kurt sighed, slightly surprised. Great, just what he needed.

One of Blaine's friends treating him like a freak or worse asking him why he'd lied to all of the Warblers in the first place. That it was Sebastian just made it that much worse. He almost wished he had run into an idiotic jock instead. But Sebastian just bent down to scoop up all of his things without comment and Kurt stared at him for a moment before hesitantly moving to help him. When Sebastian didn't complain Kurt felt himself relax. Maybe Blaine hadn't immediately told all of the Warblers?

"Thanks, grab the helmet over there?" Sebastian asked distractedly, not waiting for an answer.

Kurt blinked, startled. "Yeah, sure." he said. It took him a second to figure out why he was startled, because he was surprised by the absentminded bossiness of the other teenager.

Then again, subs probably didn't act like "subs" around other subs, Kurt supposed. He shook his head at the train of thought. Kurt of all people knew that subs could act for themselves. This was a little different though, he couldn't help thinking. Even Mercedes, who was comfortable around Kurt now that they'd been friends for so long, sometimes ended her statements with things like "if that's okay" or "if you want to". She'd only started relaxing around him enough to stop when he started subtly prompting her to.

The only person Kurt could think of that never did that around Dom's was his dad, and Kurt knew his dad had needed to work at it a little. Had needed to force himself to be strong so that Kurt wouldn't be taken away after his mom passed away. Sebastian spoke so offhandedly that Kurt couldn't help reevaluating his other conversations with the Warblers. He'd been so caught up in the drama of his own life that he'd never thought about the way the Warblers treated him because they thought he was a sub too. 

Kurt was accustomed to Dom's mistaking him for being a sub and treating him differently. He'd never considered how differently subs acted around him too, not really. He thought about Mercedes and how long it had taken for her to relax around him... maybe part of the reason why Blaine didn't want to call him back was because he didn't know how to act around Kurt now.

Feeling morose as he handed over the helmet Kurt didn't notice Sebastian's appraisal of him.

 

 

Shopping, in Sebastian's opinion, was his worst enemy and this trip had so far proven itself to be particularly aggravating. If Sebastian could have avoided taking the trip to the mall he would have, unfortunately he really did need to buy some new lacrosse equipment. His old stuff was in tatters by this point and he had outgrown most of it. 

Sebastian wouldn't have come at all if his coach hadn't pulled him aside to lecture him about it. His teammates had just patted him on the back consolingly and told him they'd go with him if he wanted, for moral support, even as their eyes betrayed their discomfort. As lacrosse players they were all pretty much used the hassle that came with buying sports equipment. Most of his teammates were embarrassed by the stigma of actually being in a sport, it just wasn't a very submissive activity. What bothered Sebastian though wasn't the shame of being interested in sports, he could care less about that, it was all of the high and mighty Dom's that worked at the sport stores. They either treated him like he was an attention seeking slut or like they needed to escort him out of the store and lecture him about his life choices.

Sebastian didn't see what all the fuss was about. So he liked lacrosse, it was fun. It didn't make him a slut. If anything made him a slut it was all the sex he had. Not his extracurricular activities.

Sebastian was so happy to be out of the store that he didn't pay enough attention to where he was walking. He was completely surprised to see Kurt again, though he supposed the mall would be a sub like Kurt's natural habitat. The though made a little smirk rise to his lips.

It fell away as Kurt handed him his new helmet with a sad expression. It reminded him too much of that first day they met. When Kurt talked about that asshole bullying him. Kurt had looked small on that couch; like the world had kicked him down one too many times. Sebastian had thought Blaine was helping Kurt with everything, but the sub across from him had lost that resolute look he had after leaving on Saturday and if anything now looked even more depressed.

Had something happened? Did the jock do something to him?

Sebastian felt the hairs on his arms rise at the thought, it hit a little too close to home.

"You seem quiet." Sebastian said after a moment, standing up.

Kurt's brows furrowed in confusion as he stood across from him. Focusing on Sebastian suddenly as if his mind had been a million miles away.  

"I mean, you couldn't shut up when you were insulting me in French yesterday." Sebastian added as an afterthought.

The confusion on Kurt's face stayed. Although a slow little bemused smile made its way over his features as well, apparently the thought of insulting him made the other boy happy. Figures. Still, the all encompassing sadness had faded some and Sebastian couldn't help feeling inordinately pleased with himself.

Adjusting the bags in his grip Sebastian couldn't resist continuing when everything was going so well.  

"By the way, calling someone a pig is quiet rude and you're hardly one to be making fun of anyone's fashion sense." Sebastian said, a smile tugging across his own lips as he smugly let his eyes run over the sub from head to toe, making sure to appear supremely unimpressed.

"Excuse me?" Kurt exclaimed, the smile dropping as he blinked.

"That's what you were saying the other day, right?" Sebastian asked, he hoped he was right. It would be rather embarrassing if he'd translated the words he remembered wrongly. Google could be so unreliable and Blaine, the evil munchkin, had been evasive when Sebastian asked him for help.

The other only sub quirked an eyebrow with a tiny bemused smirk at the remark. Sebastian almost frowned at the unexpected response. He'd sort of wanted a bigger reaction than that, what with how long it took him to translate everything. But instead of huffing angrily instead Kurt's chin rose slightly, his head tilted to the side, and his lips quivered as if he was going to smile.   

"You actually bothered looking it up?" Kurt asked after a moment.   

Sebastian stared, not exactly sure why that was funny. Why wouldn't he look it up? Kurt had been making fun of him because he didn't know what he was saying. Sebastian had wanted to... surprise Kurt. Show him that knowing French wasn't a big deal.

Squeezing the bags in his hands, Sebastian shrugged. Aware that his face was likely heating up like a match had been struck. Why was it he kept feeling so wrong-footed around this sub?This really was turning out to be the worst day ever. First, he was practically laughed out of the lacrosse store and now instead of getting back at Kurt for everything he'd said on Saturday he was practically being laughed at for the second time in one day.

"Sebastian?"

A hand suddenly hooked under Sebastian's chin, tilted his head up. Sebastian's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the gesture, especially since he hadn't noticed that he'd been looking down in the first place. If a Dom had done it, Sebastian might have been unsurprised if a little disgruntled. It was a common enough action, like a pat on the back. Sebastian couldn't remember the last time someone had did it to him though, probably his dad, but that was only because Sebastian barely ever looked down and or needed checking up on. The action seemed as natural as breathing for Kurt.

Kurt was smiling gently at him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Not for doing something that will only help you improve." Kurt reassured him.

Sebastian absorbed the words, and then he forced himself to scoff and move his chin away. Kurt let him do it. Dropping his hand to the side and letting the moment pass. In that way at least he was still a regular sub. A Dom would have been angry, or at least irritated, that Sebastian broke contact first.

"Well... goodbye, Kurt."

"Goodbye." 

Sebastian turned and started to walk away.

"Oh, and Sebastian?"

He turned back around curiously.

Kurt was smirking, a sharp gleam in his eyes, then he said something in French and promptly strolled off.


	6. Meetings

Warbler practice is always both invigorating and irritating. On the one hand Sebastian loves singing with the Warblers. They accepted him right from the start with warmth and friendliness. The same went for the lacrosse team. The same went for Dalton in general. It was a breath of fresh air to fit in, even if it was a snug fit at times.

Sebastian had always stood out from the crowd, something most subs were uncomfortable with but that Sebastian was so used to it didn't faze him. He would regularly just shrug off the looks and keep on doing whatever he wanted. He wasn't sure if he was always that way or if it was just who he became as he grew up, being told he would naturally do this or naturally avoid doing that as if who he was was set in stone had always made him want to do the opposite. 

"So, will we be singing at the Trenton School Dance?" Blaine asked, practically glowing in his excitement. Sebastian was pleased to see it, because lately the other boy had been spending large amounts of time lost in thought.

Sebastian sat on the arm of the couch as Wes spoke for the council.

"We know the Cardinals will be singing already, but if we ask the Principal we might be able to get a spot too. It would be great practice." Wes said, looking around to all of the seated Warblers.

The Cardinal's were the Glee Club at Trenton, the all Dom/all boy's school, and in Sebastian's mind: the competition. Half of him was all for the chance to show them up at their own school, he had complete confidence in his Warbler's. The other half of him wanted to keep their cards close so that the Cardinal's wouldn't know what hit them when the real competition began.

"And," Thad spoke up, "The council was thinking, how would you, Nick, like to sing a duet with Blaine? After that we decided that Blaine can sing a solo. We haven't decided on the songs yet. You're auditions were all strong, exactly what we'll need..."

Sebastian was barely listening after learning that Blaine would get both a duet _and_ a solo. Nick was gushing at the chance to sing, and Blaine was doing that demure thing he did whenever he was picked and Sebastian was unable to stop himself from thinking about storming out of the room in frustration but controlled himself.

Sebastian knew that he deserved that duet, and what did Blaine need two songs for? But he controlled himself. After all, this was just a school dance. He would have to reign himself in and continue planning until the real battle happened. Regionals and Nationals.

Instead of doing any of the childish things his mind came up with Sebastian smiled widely, patting Nick on the back since he was closest.

"Good job, buddy. I told you your audition was perfect." Sebastian said, and it was true. Nick's audition of One More Night had been great. But Sebastian's audition was nothing to scoff at either. Being a Warbler was difficult. It was all about teamwork and propping each other up, because being a Warbler was more than just singing, at least, it was more than that in Sebastian's mind and in the council's mind.

The Warbler's were the only club in the school that was student governed and one mistake could bring the careful four year tradition crashing down. As a result the council had to constantly think of the image that the Warbler's created, because if even one sub was causing a problem for them they would be back to being watched over by either one of their Dom teachers or, as it used to be, by a student volunteer from Trenton.

The council was an incredible privilege, one that would be lost if the three chosen for the job couldn't keep their fellow subs on task and no one wanted that. The Warblers were the only club at Dalton that was student governed, if they did well then other clubs might have the chance to try it too.

The only reason Sebastian knew this was because the council had pulled him aside during the first week that he had joined the club to explain this to him explicitly. Worried that his attitude might cause the teachers concern. Since that day Sebastian had carefully tucked away his plan to sabotage the council so that he would be the sole leader of the group. He had obviously underestimated the strictness of the school staff and the thought of the _Cardinals_ being able to spy on them and undermine the Warblers was rather infuriating.

As the meeting came to a close the Warblers wrapped it up with a song. Sebastian was one of the first to head out the door.

  

 

When Kurt came home from school he wasn't surprised to see Elisa sitting at the kitchen table next to his dad with a binder and handful of new pamphlets spread out in front of them. He shuddered at the memory of the results of the social workers last visit, with his dad telling him about the birds and the bees, complete with a few descriptive and colorful pamphlets that Kurt could have gone without seeing. 

When they looked up Elisa smiled brightly at him and his dad grimaced.

"Hello, Kurt. Come sit with us." She ordered, patting the chair next to her.

Kurt had known Elisa since his mom died and never grew to like her even after all these years. After the Dominant of their home died it was likely that Kurt would be taken away, and Elisa was the one with the final say so. Even after all these years she had that control and Kurt knew it pained his dad to have to follow her rules in certain ways, especially when it came to raising Kurt.

Of course, in some ways they had Elisa to thank for being able to stay together. They were luckier than most. In most cases a Dominant guardian would be appointed and the child and parent would only be able to see each other when or if the guardian decided. His dad had jumped through hoops to make it possible, and it helped that he owned his own business. But being together also meant putting up with well meaning but interfering and condescending Elisa.

It didn't help that Kurt was the way he was. Elisa was disturbed by the way he was, and had even started to question her decision to let his dad be his guardian. She thought that he might need a Dominant in his life. Kurt knew that if that happened he would be in hell, for him and his dad.

Sitting down he looked down at the table and wished he hadn't. They were all about the importance of sports to a young Dominant.

"Now Kurt, I know that you've said you dislike football but I really believe that socializing with more of your Dominant peers would be good for you. It isn't appropriate for a young Dom to only have Submissive friends. Your father assures me that your Glee Club has been a good outlet for you and I have to agree, though when I said find a way to be more active at school I think you know that isn't what I meant. I would suggest you drop Glee Club and join something different. Debate Club might be a good choice if you don't want to join a sport, perhaps. In any case I've given your father some other activities that aren't offered at your school."

He stared down at one pamphlet that said Karate and another that read Boxing.

"Now, how have you been?" She asked briskly.

"I've made friends with some other Dominants in Glee Club." He said strategically. There was no way he would quit Glee Club, not if he could help it. The only way to make sure he wouldn't have to was if he painted it in a way that made Elisa think it was fine. It was just like his Dance Lessons when he was a kid all over again. His dad could afford it and Kurt wanted to do it, but Elisa put her foot down the minute she caught wind of it.

"Really?" She asked with surprise.

"Yeah, the quarterback of the football team and his best friend who's also on the football team even joined the Glee Club." Which was true. Not that he would tell her that Finn was a Submissive. Puck actually was a Dominate, and so was Arty, Rachel, Quinn... Kurt wasn't lying about how many Dominants there were in the small Club. It was surprisingly diverse for a Club dedicated to singing.  

Elisa's eyebrows drew together and she sighed.

"Alright, if that's the case," She conceded. "I still expect you to look at the pamphlets and choose one though."

Then she turned back to his dad and started asking him about his work, health, and the amount of time he spent with Kurt as usual. Kurt left the room but listened closely from the other room and winced every time she asked what his dad was doing to try to steer him towards being more Dominant. His eyes widened with surprise though when she brought up the idea of his dad finding a new Dominant for himself.

After she left his dad looked at him with exhaustion.

"Pizza?" He asked, and Kurt nodded even though it was unhealthy. It was sort of their ritual at this point. After Elisa's bi-monthly visit they'd get take out and bemoan the fact that the were stuck with her while watching TV together and figuring out a game plan for what they would say the next time she came to visit them.


	7. Coffee

Kurt came to the lima bean by himself, ordered his coffee and sat near the windows. Far away from the table he'd sat with Blaine at only a few days ago. His coffee was going cold as he stared down at the artful band on his arms that hid his tattoo. He wore one on each wrist to hide the fact that he was hiding his mark.

Dominant.

He felt like his mind always came back to that. At times he thought it was like a shackle. Something he couldn't ignore because it was always holding him in place. In Glee Club he was learning to accept himself. He even left his arms bare in school and wore what he wanted to, it was getting harder to be bold though.

Yesterday, Karofsky had shoved him into the dumpster after school and a shard of glass from a green bottle had cut through his shirt and scrapped against the side of his shoulder. He'd gasped and nearly screamed at the unexpected pain. After so many times of being dropped into dumpsters by goons on the football team the thought of it actually being able to hurt him, physically, had been a shock. 

He'd always just found it humiliating and disgusting. Not potentially dangerous.

Kurt refrained from poking at the injury now. He hadn't told anyone, just cleaned it in the school bathroom swiftly. Once the blood was wiped off it didn't look so bad and Kurt had sighed in relief. Not sure what he would say if he had to tell his dad about this. He needed to protect his dad from all of what was happening, if Burt realized that things were so bad Kurt was afraid it would break him, and ever since Elisa's visit his dad had been on edge. 

Burt would never admit it but the Dominant's disapproval _did_  get to him. Kurt thought she was so focused on making him be a proper Dom that she sometimes forgot the little things, like how hard his dad was working every day and how far a little acknowledgement of how well he'd done in raising his son would go. He'd kept Kurt save and clothed and loved.

But the only way his dad would ever get that from her was if Kurt changed completely. Threw everything he was to the wind and just... fit.

Kurt thought about his wardrobe and his higher pitched voice. Thought about what he would have to do to be accepted, even as he stared down at his wrist and imagined the word Dominant staring up at him boldly. He didn't think he could stand quitting Glee Club. The only place that he could relax, the only place where he'd found people that accepted him in their own way.

He thought about Blaine. Who hadn't ever called him back and took a drink of his cold coffee.

 

 

Sebastian was about to leave his car to walk into the Lima Bean when his phone started to ring from his pocket. He took it out and was surprised to see that Blaine was the one calling. He grinned, curiosity building.  

"Hey, hot stuff. Have you changed your mind after all? I can still get you that fake ID if you want to head down to Scandals this weekend?" He said with a wide smirk.

"What?"

Sebastian laughed a bit when the sub refused immediately, sounding flustered by his greeting.

"Actually, I had a question for you." Blaine said, sounding sad, again. 

Sebastian sat up straighter at Blaine's tone. He and the other warblers had noticed Blaine's resent gloominess. Whereas usually he was bubbly and energetic, lately he'd been reserved and spent a lot of time looking off into space with a worried frown. The chance to know what was really going on was gold. Everyone had been speculating but none of their theories seemed to explain anything.

"Okay, shoot." Sebastian said, trying for aloof.

Silence followed, then more silence followed. Sebastian was about order Blaine to tell him what was wrong before he made the Warblers give him an intervention when Blaine spoke up at last.

"Is withholding something the same as lying?" Blaine asked.

Sebastian didn't have to think about it, though this only made him more needy for answers.

"No."

"Okay." Blaine said quietly.

"Blaine, what is this about?" Sebastian asked.

The little Warbler was quiet again though, likely lost in thought, so Sebastian fiddled with his car seat. Making it lean back comfortable, it was then that he spotted Kurt Hummel sitting in the Lima Bean. He had this solemn look about him. Fingers tapping against the lid of his cup.

Blaine spoke again, startling Sebastian from his observation.

"Have you ever wanted to be a Dom? Not, not because you actually think you're a Dom, but just because it would be... easier for you?" Blaine trailed off and for a second Sebastian thought he would ask more but nothing else was said.

Sebastian didn't have a kneejerk response to that. He didn't have an opinion. Part of it was because he hated it when people assumed that he wanted to be a Dom just because of his attitude, his personality. But he could remember himself at a different time, not even that long ago, standing across from Daniel in his old school and feeling helpless and prayed upon and weak. Feeling like his whole world was squeezing in on him, and _yes_ , sort of wishing he could have just have been born a Dom instead so that everyone would stop singling him out.

Hearing Blaine ask him about this brings back thoughts that Sebastian has spent his time at Dalton trying to bury. It's a bucket of icy water in his face. Freezing him, because no matter how much Sebastian ignores it, no matter how much he embraces his differentness and tells himself that everything is fine now he can never seem to get things right. To everyone else he is still that strange submissive that doesn't act like he is one and they notice him. It's unspoken but even Blaine sees it, even Blaine assumes he's a Domturner.

Sebastian wants to be angry. Screw that, this does make him angry, and he has to remind himself that Blaine isn't accusing him of anything. Not right now.

There's something in the way Blaine asks him, as if he sincerely wants to know, that makes Sebastian hesitate.

"Why are you asking me this?"

"I can't tell you. I don't think it's my place." Blaine says, suddenly in a rush. "It's just that someone I met told me a few days ago... they told me that they felt _caged in_ by the expectations that some people have of them, because of their mark."

"I wasn't sure what to make of it. Even though I'm attracted to other subs I've never truly been mistaken for being a Dom. At first I thought they were lying because- because how can a person feel trapped by what they are? But then, I stared to think about how subs and Doms are always expected to act in certain ways and how no one really fits into every stereotype their is about subs or Doms. We all just assume people are like this or that, and we usually are enough like those things overall for it to not matter." Blaine trailed off, as if he'd come to the end of his train of thought and faltered.

Sebastian could see why Blaine had been acting so strangely of late. With those thoughts running around in his head. He tried to figure out who this mysterious person was, but then it clicked as he looked at Kurt through the window of the Lima Bean. Kurt.

Kurt must have confided his real problems to Blaine, and of course the other boy wasn't exactly sure how to help or relate when their problems (despite it making them both targets for bullying) were different.

Sebastian could tell Blaine exactly what Kurt was feeling though. There had been times when Sebastian wondered what it was that pushed him past the line, from being a normal sub to being strange and too domineering.

Plenty of subs and Dom's didn't completely match what was expected entirely, but they were still considered normal. He'd seen a few subs as cheerleaders ad football players. They were never the quarterback or at the top of the pyramid, but their friends were the same ones that mocked Sebastian in the halls or vandalized his locker or did any of the number of things to put him in his "place" everyday.

At Dalton the roles that were expected of subs was more lenient. Most subs felt the room for the first time to step out of their comfort zone in the safety that the school went above and beyond to project for its students. 

Trenton had the Cardinals, and it was popular, despite singing and Glee Club being considered an all submissive activity. 

Sebastian's own parents had met in debate club in collage. His mom had loved it, despite everyones worries that debate was unsuitable for subs because of their softer dispositions. She had said that her submissiveness only contributed to her talent for debating. She learned to do things from a different, but no less effective, way.

Yet, Sebastian stood out. He knew it wasn't one thing about him, but an accumulation of many things and an absence of a few key characteristics that made him different, and up until now he had thought he was alone in it. But Kurt was going through the same thing.

Sebastian had never wanted to talk about Perrwick High again. Not if he could help it. As he looked at Kurt looking down to stare at the bands that covered his wrists though, he found his voice, hoping that it would get to the other boy. Blaine already knew that he didn't live in France last year anyway.

Just this once, he'd answer the question honestly.  

"I think you know that I wasn't going to school in France last year." Sebastian said. Blaine was the only one that knew that. "At my old school I never felt safe. I was treated like shit because the way I act. What no one understood was that I was just being me. Everyday it was tough and after a while I started to think that, if I was a Dom in the first place it wouldn't matter... but I never wanted to be a Dom. I realized that if I was a Dom I'd probably be just as messed up, in a different way. I realized I couldn't win. When I realized that I decided fuck it. Take it or leave it. I'm a sub, I have panic attacks and want to be taken care of, and if some assholes can't see that it's their problem. Dom's are supposed to be understanding, but the Dom's at my old school were complete idiots just because I don't bow my head or kiss their ass."

Sebastian had never said any of these thoughts aloud and yet it felt refreshing, in a sense, to have reason to voice them. Despite this being for someone else's benefit Sebastian felt surprised by how much he had revealed in his answer, about his own life. His own past. He almost wished he could take it back now and yet it was already done. He'd answered the question honestly, and a part of him hoped that his answer would make it to Kurt and help the him.

 

 

" _Good boy_ , Kurt? Really? Could you be any more unoriginal?"

Kurt startled, looking up in surprise to see Sebastian grinning down at him with two cups in his hands. Kurt's grip on his own cup relaxed as the sub gave him an unimpressed look and sat down, without even an "is this seat taken?" as he put the cups down, sliding one over to Kurt pointedly. Apparently, they were going to talk. Or maybe Sebastian wanted help with his French homework. Oddly enough, Kurt found that he wouldn't be annoyed if that was Sebastian's intention.

He was no closer to figuring out what he should do since he walked into the coffee shop, at least if he gave Sebastian some help with his homework in exchange for a steady supply of coffee he'd be doing something useful with his time.

Then Kurt smiled as he remembered their last meeting.

"Well, it was good of you to practice your French. I thought you deserved a reward." He said.

Sebastian didn't seem at all phased by the praise. He supposed, coming from someone he thought was a sub, it wouldn't really have the same effect. At the reminder that Sebastian didn't know, because for some reason Blaine didn't tell anyone, Kurt very adamantly did not try to interpret what that could mean. He really didn't let himself hope that, maybe, Blaine wasn't that angry with him. 

"And I think you deserve coffee for being a good tutor." Sebastian said.

Kurt eyed the steaming cup suspiciously and Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"It's your regular order, relax babe."

Kurt couldn't help the quiet scoff that left him at the nickname.

"Babe?" He asked, but he reached for the new cup anyways. 

Sebastian looked sly as he smirked at him though, almost coy really. 

"No. _No._  I don't want to know." Kurt said, waving the boy off immediately on catching the look.

The warbler huffed laughingly. Still looking smug but deciding to stay quiet.

"What can I do for you Sebasian?" Kurt asked after taking a measured sip of his drink.

The wide eyed look of innocence he received did not fool him.

"Can I not buy my tutor a drink after I aced by AP French quiz for the first time all semester?" Sebastian asked.

He actually had the gall to flutter his eyelashes at Kurt, which was in no way appealing. Kurt remained stoic. Sebastian Smythe, he decided, was a handful.


	8. Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I felt bad about abandoning this fic, for a long time I told myself I'd keep working on it. I'd already moved on to other fandoms though and never came back to being exited to write this again, but still found that I couldn't quite move on with my other fics with this one in the back of my mind sitting unfinished so I decided to compromise. I've written in a summary of what was going to happen so that any curious readers can know. I had written the start of the next chapter, and a few sentences (not much at all) for other chapters, so that's posted here too. I hope this makes up a little bit for not finishing it. I'm sorry guys.

Start of Chapter:

Kurt was actually a good tutor even without Blaine between them. Sebastian hadn't planned on working on his French at the Lima Bean but he was happy he'd had it in his backpack, his plan to distract Kurt seemed to be working. That it was helping with his schoolwork and only cost him the cup of coffee that Kurt sent him to retrieve after his last was an added bonus.

This time around Kurt mostly spoke in English, or practiced with the vocabulary that Sebastian was already learning, but he was also a stricter tutor now that he was taking it more seriously. If Sebastian hadn't been talking to Blaine before he came here he would have already called Kurt bossy five times over but right now he was trying to be on good behavior around Kurt.

It wasn't that easy although Kurt was surprisingly adept at keeping him on task while they worked.

When Sebastian wanted to buy biscotti Kurt made him answer his homework questions first. When Sebastian actually started talking about his plans for getting a solo for when the Warbler's preformed at Trenton he was first told, no, to not under any circumstances become a Rachel and get Nick so hung over the night before the Warblers went to the dance that the council would have to let him sing the part, and because Kurt's eyes were a very hypnotizing color when they looked into his own he eventually agreed, and was then made to start over from the top of his vocabulary list to make sure everything was sinking in. Sebastian was sure that was an unspoken punishment for his scheming, but it did help him get a better grasp on the words.    

Sebastian wasn't really going to do that to Nick. That plan was only a backup incase he didn't get a solo during the real competition. He decided not to tell Kurt this though, because he couldn't forget that Kurt was the competition.

But despite his bossiness Kurt didn't feel like one of those posturing Dom's that ordered subs around just to feel better about themselves. It felt like Kurt didn't even notice what he was doing.

"Okay, you did well Sebastian. Remember to set aside time to practice your vocabulary." Kurt said.

Sebastian was almost disappointed that this was the end of their meeting. He'd actually wanted to say something to Kurt but time had flown by. No time had seemed like the right time to offer Kurt advice on the whole bullying fiasco. It was a relief to see that Kurt seemed happier now, more at ease in his own skin instead of tense and distracted.

Gathering his homework together Sebastian hesitated uncharacteristically before he spoke up.

"Same time next week?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt smiled at him and it made Sebastian's heart pang for a second, relieved for some reason. It felt good that Kurt was comfortable around him. He knew that it was hard for himself to be at ease around others, though in Kurt's case Sebastian found it easier to be.

"I would like that," Kurt said, and then a weary expression crosses his face.

* * *

Other snippets: 

(Sebastian keeps coming in late for Warbler meetings)

 "... Just make sure it doesn't happen again... Being a Warbler is a commitment Sebastian..." David said, trailing off at the end and looking like did not want to have to speak up, yet as a council member it was up to him.

Sebastian didn't wince submissively but forced himself to bow his head in understanding. The last thing he wanted was to cause problems for the club. After bowing the tension in the room evaporated and Trent patted his back.

(Some coffee date/tutoring session scenes)

(Sebastian is being bossy to a waiter)

But Kurt just seemed amused. More amused than Sebastian had ever seen him. He was actually smiling and it would have been cute if the smile wasn't at Sebastian's expense. As it was Sebastian couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so wrong-footed.

(Distracting-Kurt-from-sadness-by-being-an-asshole-!Sebastain Vs Scary!Kurt) 

Sebastian watched with a sense of pride as the other boy went from confused, shocked, a compelling shade of pink, and then like a crack settled on angry. It was a much nicer expression the sadness of before, Sebastian thought, before a familiar uneasiness interrupted his self-congratulations. The air seemed to grow cold. At the last minute Sebastian remembered how prickly Kurt was.

Kurt took a deep breath though and the tension dissipated slightly.

"I'm on to you Sebastian." 

* * *

What was going to happen: 

In the next chapter Kurt and Sebastian are still in the coffee shop. Just before Kurt goes to leave Sebastian says something like "I know what it feels like to have everyone mistake you for being a Dom" and tries to reassure him that he's not alone. Surprised but moved, after some hesitation, Kurt tells Sebastian that he's an alpha. Sebastian is SHOCKED at that, but not that shocked because he's noticed something was different from the start. Maybe there's a little angst for him because he thought he'd found someone like him but he doesn't think he has now because Kurt's an alpha. But, the more Kurt explains the less sad he feels because he actually can relate to what Kurt is going through. They might be a Dom and a sub, and treated differently, but they are the same in that they are mistaken for being the opposite. Sebastian wouldn't have done the same thing (Because he lashes out against the way he is treated by never letting anyone get away with thinking he's not a sub) but he can understand the temptation to lie about that to be accepted. They end up deciding to keep up with the coffee tutoring.

Sebastian is training with the Warblers and thinking about Kurt. Kurt is happy that their is someone else like him and starts thinking more about Sebastian and empathizing, trying to imagine how Sebastian's situation would be - the same and different. Meanwhile, Sebastian finds out what was going on between Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt is at school. I forgot what was going on for the most part :( But I remember that I wanted to bring in more of the Glee club and do some more worldbuilding, as well as show the relationships of the Glee Club.

Pairings are canon for the most part although the dynamics change slightly. There might have ended up being some Faberry, I was thinking about it. Rachel is a Dom and Finn is a sub. Finn's relationship with Kurt is similar in that Kurt didn't have a crush on Finn (because as a sub Finn didn't stand up to Kurt's bullies for him) and Kurt didn't really notice him specifically that much, but he did somewhat admire Finn from afar because Finn is a sub on the football team. It's practically unheard of, but somehow works.

Finn's best friend Puck was able to help him get on the football team. In this story Finn isn't a quarterback but he's still on the team. He's dealt with some bullies as well but it's lessened after he did well on the team and Puck defends him.

It's all in the past but Finn was manipulated into joining the Glee Club in the same way but since he's a sub no one thinks that it's too strange, although they still think it's a looser club and people try to talk him out of it. He was dating Quinn, but Rachel is trying to woo him and it's working pretty well. Quinn and Puck do cheat but Quinn doesn't become pregnant because they're both Doms, it is not that a female and male Dom (or sub) can't make babies it is just more unlikely to happen. I hadn't decided. Because of that they cheated for longer, and were more careful to keep the situation under wraps because they're both Doms and it would have out them as well, but they are caught by Finn. He doesn't out them but he's angry with them for awhile afterwards, lots of drama, although by this point in the story that situation is in the past and Puck and Finn at least have made up and are friends again.  

Kurt and Blaine make up too. Although it took some time to think about the situation on Blaine's part (and Sebastian confronts him about what it's like to not fit in the way that he and Kurt don't fit in which gives him a new perspective) he decides that Kurt's reasons weren't as bad as he had feared. As a gay sub he didn't like the implication that if Kurt pretended to be a sub also that Blaine would fall in love with him even though he's a dom. It's pretty bad when thought of in that way and in a sense that was what Kurt was doing, even if he mostly just wanted to be accepted. They talk about it though and become friends again. 

The bullying gets worse and Kurt confronts Karofsky. He finds out Karofsky is gay. Blaine and Sebastian go to help him. Sebastian just wants to threaten him with "my-dads-a-lawyer-so-fear-me" and his own brand of bullying until Karofsky backs off and Blaine also wants to reach out to Karofsky a little because he's so far in the closet, and get him to stop bullying Kurt. Sebastian's threats do work. Karofsky's also surprised and jealous that Kurt, despite how gay he seems, isn't actually gay. He thinks it's "unfair" because he thinks Kurt ought to be gay from the way he acts and he should be straight because of the way he acts. Pretty messed up, but Blaine and Sebastian knock a little sense into him by pointing out that Blaine is gay and still a pretty "stereotypical" sub himself. Karofsky still reacts similarly to the way he did in cannon but Sebastian (well, his dad mostly) scares him enough that he stops bullying Kurt. He's also humiliated that he outed himself and still  in shock that Kurt isn't actually gay. So he has more to think about although he's still nowhere near coming to terms with himself.

I was going to let that confrontation write itself but I was thinking Sebastian's attitude would probably be hurtful and Blaine might actually get through to Karofsky on some level, and they meet in Scandals later (many chapters away) when Sebastian drags them all there and tries to help Blaine pick someone up? No suicide attempt but probably a lot of angst and finally self-acceptance. Blaine and Karofsky become friends. 

Sebastian has his family dinner. It's awkward but loving but stifling. His dad's best friend is there. More is learned about Sebastian's family and his past. The encounter with Karofsky brings back memories of his last school and what happened there. He remembers another gay Dom that was outed and later committed suicide. The same Dom that wanted Sebastian to kneel (Daniel) was the biggest bully of that Dom. Daniel's personality was self righteous and sadistic. Basically, he thought he always saw himself as a good guy and when he did something cruel he saw it as a lesson he was giving. Daniel was effected by the suicide but convinced himself that it wasn't his fault because the other Dom was weak.   

Sebastian and Kurt are becoming closer, they start bumping into each other, making plans outside of tutoring to hand out, and getting to know each other more. 

Kurt sets up his dad with Carol, a Dom, because Elisa has been pressuring Burt more to start dating again. She thinks that Kurt have a Dom parental figure is even more important now that he's not a little kid but a teenager. I was also planning that they do get together but it doesn't work out that well. Kurt and Finn do become friends because of this but Kurt only planned for Carol to date his dad for a short time to get Elisa off his dads back and when they actually start dating for real Kurt doesn't get along that well with Carol. Burt and Carol also start having problems because Carol wants to take over raising Kurt and Burt doesn't like that he isn't really being listened to when it comes to Kurt. 

Meanwhile, the warblers meet the Cardinals. Hunter in the lead singer. While most of the warblers are cowed, although Blaine doesn't let himself be intimidated too much, Sebastian jumps right in to defend them. Sebastian has slowly been learning to be a better teammate which is a high priority to the warblers, even though he his confrontational personality and hasn't changed the warblers start to realize that he can be confrontational in his ways and still be a good teammate and friend.

Nick freezes during his solo and everyone thinks they're in trouble but Sebastian saves the day, stepping in to help sing part of the song until Nick is able to deal with his stage fright. They end up doing a duet and it works. Everyone congratulates Sebastian and the Warblers start to think that Sebastian should have a solo for the team next time. They weren't sure before because of the way he stands out but they start to see that Sebastian's personality, what they thought wasn't a good thing, helped them in this situation.

Afterwards Sebastian is confronted by Hunter and flirted with. Sebastian isn't impressed and a little freaked out. Hunter is one of those Dom's that like a "challenge" and it reminds Sebastian of Daniel. Sebastian turns him down flat. He has a flashback of to the day when Daniel first told him to knell. At the time, he did kneel even though he didn't quite want to. Daniel took the situation as a sign that he could "save" Sebastian. Daniel half tried to date Sebastian and half bullied/"tried to teach" him how to be a "good sub" and the whole situation lasted for a few months before Sebastian decided to save himself. He looked up how to resist kneeling and when he did it the first time Daniel was angry but Sebastian had never been happier even though he was afraid. Daniel hit him and when Sebastian got home he wasn't able to hide it from his parents.

Daniel got in trouble and Sebastian was kept at home as his parents tried to decide what to do, that was also when Sebastian's dads best friend Ryan suggested Dalton. It had a no bullying policy and Ryan also thought that maybe Sebastian was "acting out" because he was nervous around Doms.

He thought that Daniel being a "strict" Dom clashed with Sebastian who was more "sensitive" then most subs. Ryan thought that being around more subs would help Sebastian know what to do so that when he was around Dom's again he would be ready for it and more comfortable to act like a sub. Both of Sebastian's parents work a lot and most of Sebastian's nannies were Doms. Ryan though that maybe Sebastian just needs more examples in his life of what a good sub is to help him know what to do when with Doms to avoid what happened with Daniel. The only thing they really saw wrong about Daniel was that he lost control and hit a sub that wasn't his and had never even met Sebastian's parents. Daniel was able to get out of being in too much trouble though because everyone knew that Sebastian could be confrontational and because Daniel said that he'd "wanted to meet both of you but Sebastian always refused". Sebastian had refused, because he definitely did not want Daniel to worm his way any more into his life, which could have easily happened if he'd been able to make a good impression on them. Because of what happened Sebastian's parents fortunately decided that Daniel wouldn't be a good match for Sebastian, though, but Sebastian was still hurt over the situation because they seemed almost understanding of Daniel's situation. Viewing Daniel as misguided, not dangerous.

Sebastian ran out to go to the bathroom and Daniel followed him a little bit after. He said that "I didn't want a sub like you anyways, who would?" and told Sebastian something like, "You shouldn't have brought your parents into this", which Sebastian responded to with, "You punched me in the face!"   

Kurt learns about Hunter later realizes that he's jealous.

More fluffy Kurt and Sebastian moments. They start dating which instantly puts the Glee club up in arms although the Warblers saw this coming miles away and aren't bothered by it. Kurt went to Sebastian's lacrosse game a some point. 

Dinner at Sebastian's family. Kurt makes a good impression and Sebastian's parents are rather intrigued by their dynamic and how it actually fits. Ryan shows up and is surprised himself but supportive. They'd all worried that Sebastian might never be with anyone because he was so different and are happy that he found someone he's compatible with. Ryan takes credit for it (jokingly, because they all noticed that Sebastian hadn't really changed and that Kurt is pretty different in his own way) because he suggested Dalton. They are pleased that it all worked out. 

Carol and Burt meanwhile are dating. In the end it doesn't work out but they are both able to start finally moving on and looking for love again.

Kurt and Sebastian have a fight because of Hunter, who's team is the third competing at regional's. In a fit of anger Kurt forbids Sebastian from going near Hunter and Sebastian breaks up with him and tells him to come back when he's being less of an asshole. Unfortunately this turn of events is only seen as an opening in Hunter's eyes, although Sebastian still tuns him down. A lot of the people observing the situation see it as romantic that these two Dom's are fighting over Sebastian and don't really understand why he's so pissed or broke up with Kurt for trying to "protect" him.

Kurt tells the situation to his dad, angry at Sebastian, and Burt get serious and talks some sense into him. He also tells Kurt a little about his mom, and how the way Kurt was with Sebastian reminded him of how his wife was with him, but that in that moment he wasn't acting like her at all. and Kurt realizes that he was wrong and not being supportive of Sebastian or a good Dom. He runs off to go apologize to Sebastian for being a jerk and they make up, Kurt learns about who Daniel was and it convinces him even more that he doesn't want to be a Dom like that. They're hugging and then Hunter comes in and is all "don't you want a real dom?" and Sebastian tells him off and when Hunter is like "are you going to let your sub talk for you?" Kurt basically says "hell yes!" and then they start kissing again and that is that. 

Maybe a epilogue with a family dinner with Burt. 

The end. 


End file.
